Crystal River current., 1887-08-06

temporary tramways used in railway
making were sufficiently frequent to
have made him thoroughly familiar
with the kind of shock caused an en-
CINE or truck leaving the track. Imam
instant he grasped the fact that some
part OF the train had left the rails,
and, conscious OF the speed at which
they were moving he knew that a
terrible crash was imminent and in
evitable.
Shouting to his fellow passengers,
"Hold on, every one!" he quickly
gripped the arm-rest on his left with
all his strength, stiffened himself in
his place by placing his feet firmly
against the opposite seat, threw his
right arm across his chest, elbow out
ward, to protect his face as far as
possible from injury in the coming
smash. He had not prepared him
self an instant too soon! At that
moment huge portmanteau came
crashing against the door-frame, and
fly past the window, followed by a
cloud of dust and coal; then fierce
gust OF hot steam burst through the
open window. covering them all for a
moment as if in a black cloud. The
Frenchman yelled out fearful oath,
the bride uttered piercing shrek,
and the schoolboy screamed and fran
tically clutched Granard round the
body.
Scarcely had the stream covered
them when the carriage received a
tremendous blow on the right, which
turned it sharply over on it's side. A
yard or two farther-with the car
riage being dragged unwillngly along
in this position-all was over; the
trains great momentum was used up,
and one OF the worlds most famous
expresses, which not ten seconds be-
fore had been plunging along full of
grace and power. at the rate of 80
mile a minute" lay wrecked and
stilled-a center ofdeath, suffering and
ruin.
Granard had wedged himself so tight
ly into his seat that when the carriage
was overturned he was not displaced,
the somnolent youth opposite was
thrown with great violence directly up
on Arthur Granard S right elbow, there
by receiving p most pointed rebuke
for his ill-judged movement. Dazed
with sleep and mad with fright, this
worthy grabbed Granard by the
throat and shouted "NIurderl Muir
derl" in the widest manner, Mt the
same time doing his utmost to
strange his antagonist. Now, Ora
nard was not particularly pugnacious
or prone to take offence, but just then
he felt in no humor for being throt-
tied, and accordingly resented the liber-
ty. Being OF considerable strength
and stature, and in frst-rate condi-
ton, (having the day before won n
two-mile scullingrace at Blandecombe
regatta, for which he had been in
training some six weeks or more,)
he was soon able to free himself from
his ow-passenger's too close en-
brace by gripping his arms just above
the elbows and crunching the muscles
there until the hands were poweress.
Then stepping across the carriage
and standing each foot on an arm
rest, he thrust him bodily through the
open window, now above them. On
being shown the door in this fashion,
new idea seems to seize on
the elected one, for he scrambled
out and flung himself down to the
ground as ifa thousand mischiefs were
behind him. Had he broken limb in
his haste an enlightened jury would
probably have awarded him heavy
damages flor injuries received in the
Long Houghton accident" On look
ing down between his legs to see how
the Others We're faring, Granard noticed
that the Frenchman had already
wriggled out, while the poor little
bride was huddled in the corner, with
her lubberly husband sprawlng help.
lessly upon her, apparently too UNI
nerved to make any effort to get out.
To see him SO filled Granard with in
dignant disgust. In moment he
reasoned to himself that the prin-
ciple of CONTEMPLATION need not be
confined in its application to mustard
plaster, toothache tinctures. and such
like mute agents, but might well be
extended for cure OF mental paralysis
and nervelessness; that if, "like cures
Ike, q hook might undo mischief
shock had caused. Acting on this
deduction, he grasped the hat-rails on
either side to maintain his balance,
and then administered to the wretch
ed husband a sharp, decisive kick in
the back, shouting at the same time.
''Hand up that lady!"
The effect was instantaneous. He
grasped his partner with sudden ener-
gy and promptly passed her up to
Granard, who had meanwhile forced
open the door to allow more room for
her to get out. AS he lifted her out,
and was in the act OF passing her down
to a gentleman on the ground, a
thought came suddenly into his mind
which brought his heartinto his throat
and seemed to freeze his very blood.
He remembered the down express.
The down fast had not passed them
yeti
He saw with horror that nearly all
the passengers were now standing on
the down track! He knew the wreck
must have fouled both lines! What q
smash would follow if the coming ex-
press should dash in upon them UNI
checked! He knew it was already
overdue. Could it be stopped?
Oh, that it might be late enough tc
give him time to try! He sprang for